Inihaw na Tilapia with Adobong Gata
Ingredients
1 big whole tilapia (1kg) or 2 medium whole tilapia (500gm each), cleaned and gutted banana leaves for wrapping
Fish marinade:
1/4 cup Kikkoman Soy Sauce
2 tbsp Brown Sugar
1 tbsp calamansi juice or lime juice
1 clove Garlic, minced
Fish Stuffing:
1/2 small onion, diced
1 small tomato, diced
1 hot chili (siling labuyo)
pinch of salt and pepper
Adobong Gata sauce:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 small white onion, sliced
6 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
Kosher salt and coarsely crushed black pepper
2 hot chilies (siling labuyo)
6 fresh bay leaves
1/2 cup vinegar
1 cup unsweetened canned coconut milk or 1 packet of coconut powder dissolved in 1 cup of water
1/4 cup Kikkoman Soy Sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation
Fish marinade:
1/4 cup Kikkoman Soy Sauce
2 tbsp Brown Sugar
1 tbsp calamansi juice or lime juice
1 clove Garlic, minced
Clean the fish.
Combine all the ingredients for the marinade.
Pour marinade over the fish and let it sit for at least 15 minutes to 30 minutes (max.).
1/2 small onion, diced
1 small tomato, diced
1 hot chili (siling labuyo)
pinch of salt and pepper
Mix all the stuffing ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
1 small white onion, sliced
6 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
2 hot chilies (siling labuyo)
6 fresh bay leaves
Kosher salt and coarsely crushed black pepper
Prepare the coconut adobo sauce:
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
Add the onion and a pinch of salt.
Sauté until translucent about 3 to 5 mins.
Add in the garlic, bay leaves and red chilis.
Sauté until everything is fragrant.
Stir in the bay leaves.
1 cup unsweetened canned coconut milk or 1 packet of coconut powder dissolved in 1 cup of water
1/4 cup Kikkoman Soy Sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Pour in the vinegar, stir to combine and bring to a boil.
After the strong smell of vinegar burns off, about 2 minutes, stir in the coconut milk and soy sauce.
Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to maintain a steady simmer and cook, stirring and scraping the saucepan occasionally,
until the liquid slightly thickens about 5 to 8 minutes.
Adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper.
Keep warm and set aside.
Prepare a charcoal grill for direct, medium-high heat grilling or heat a gas grill to medium-high.
Lay a banana leaf on a work surface.
Using kitchen shears, trim any hard veins off the edges and discard.
Arrange the fish at one end of the banana leaf.
Stuff cavity of the fish with the set aside stuffing.
Wrap the fish tightly in the banana leaf, leaving the head and tail exposed, then tie shut with kitchen twine.
Place the fish on the grill, cover, and cook, flipping once halfway through, until opaque throughout, about 15 minutes per side.
You can check for doneness by inserting a paring knife into the exposed tail meat.
The knife should slide through easily, and the meat should be white.
Transfer the fish to platter. Snip the twine and unwrap the fish, leaving it atop the banana leaf on the platter.
Spoon the sauce all over the fish and serve immediately with any extra sauce in a bowl on the side.
